RV Sanitary Roller Shutter With Thin Guide Section

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing room dividers for recreational vehicle sanitary cells, such as those with roller shutters, face issues like uncomfortable floor grooves and unsuitable placement in walkable areas due to wide guide channels, which hinder the implementation of floor-level showers and user comfort.

Innovation Solution

A room divider with vertically oriented roller shutter slats having a reduced thickness at the lower end, guided by a plastic plug and a movable base plate that adjusts the guide gap size for showering, combined with a sealing profile for splash protection and noise reduction, allowing flexible placement and comfortable user access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the roller shutter slats have uniform thickness throughout, then manufacturing is simpler, but the shutter cannot be effectively guided through a narrow floor groove

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroller shutter manufacturingVSAvoidshutter guidance through floor groove

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide section of the roller shutter slats has a reduced thickness compared to the upper portions. This local variation in thickness allows the shutter to be guided through a narrow floor groove (suitable for user comfort and flush-to-floor showers) while maintaining adequate structural integrity for smooth operation of the shutter mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the roller shutter is designed for shower area separation, then splash protection is achieved, but the wide guide channel makes it unsuitable for placement in walkable areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesplash protectionVSAvoidplacement flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The guide section of the roller shutter slats has a reduced thickness compared to the upper portions. This local variation in thickness allows the shutter to be guided through a narrow floor groove (suitable for user comfort and flush-to-floor showers) while maintaining adequate structural integrity for smooth operation of the shutter mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4194279A1Recreational vehicle with a space divider for a sanitary compartment

Publication Date: 2023.06.14 HYMER GMBH & CO KG

Figure 1

AI summary

A room divider (1) for a sanitary compartment (2) of a recreational vehicle (3), in particular a motorhome or caravan, with a roller shutter (4) having vertically oriented roller shutter slats (5). It is proposed that the roller shutter (4) has a guide section (7) at its lower end (6) and that the roller shutter (4) is designed with a reduced thickness (8) of the roller shutter slats at its guide section (7). Furthermore, a recreational vehicle (3) with such a room divider (1) is proposed.